Short Fuses
by Emily Hoyt
Summary: Be careful of what you say when you're snippy. Odds are it's the very last thing you normally wish to disclose that flies out from between your lips.


It had been a long day and everyone was tired, some tempers shorter than normal. Lucy was snippy; Jack was overly passive. Myles was snobbier, Bobby was fighting the urge to hit something, Tara was not even smiling and Sue was almost asleep at her desk. Everyone was still at odds over what to do about their current case.

"Why won't you two go undercover again?" Myles asked in exasperation. "Hell, get married and get it over with."

"Myles!" Sue exclaimed. He just rolled his eyes. "Jack, am I the only one offended by this?"

"No, but you're the only one with the strength to fight back right now."

"So you're just going to sit there and do nothing?"

"You're fighting back. I have to listen to him. If you could only hear his voice once, you'd understand how draining that is."

A silence set over the office until Lucy charged him and smacked him across the face. "Take that back!" she yelled.

"What did I say wrong?" he burst, no longer passive. "I wasn't insulting her. I was saying that if she could hear Myles, she'd almost want to pull her ears off! You dated him! You should know!"

"Hey, back off, wonder boy!" Myles yelled indignantly. Bobby rose up.

"You better back off, yabber. I'm ready to hit something and you're real close right now."

"STOP IT!" Sue yelled, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I can't take it anymore! You're all so childish. If we don't want to go undercover anymore, then that's that! We don't have to explain anything to you. Myles, you were being very presumptuous," she said sniffling and choking on her words. "If Jack can't… stand being undercover with me, he'd never marry me! Lucy, he didn't mean it as an insult. I'm deaf and even I could read it as an uncommitted comment. Bobby, find yourself a punching bag before you use some_one_ instead. Tara, please smile. It's killing me to see you like this. As for me, I can't take this. I'm going for a long walk. Luce, don't wait up," she finished before walking out of the office, Levi thankfully at her heals.

Everyone stared silently at each other for a few moments before the shame overwhelmed them and they all slowly apologized to each other, even Myles. They looked around the office a few moments before realizing it was just past six in the evening. With a little laugh at their folly, they all gathered their things and set off. The last to leave was Jack, gathering his things slowly as something Sue had said nagged at the back of his mind. He replayed the speech in his head and his brain nearly stumbled over her words. _'If Jack can't stand being undercover with me, he'd never marry me.'_ He flew to his car and drove home in almost record time as his mind waged war in his head.

'_Can't stand'? Is she nuts?! I can't be near her because I'm scared! Not because of her. I love her too much to put her in a sticky situation. I can believe she thinks I can't stand her!_

The second he arrived home, he flicked on his computer and connected, biting his lips as he waited for the internet. As soon as it finally hooked up, he went into his e-mail and began to type.

Sue was walking aimlessly around the downtown area where everything was still open and people still crowded the streets. She was about three blocks from a familiar restaurant when her Blackberry began to vibrate. She opened it and read the note sent by Jack.

'_I have no idea where you came up with me not being able to stand working undercover with you, bout you couldn't be further from the truth. Please come over; we need to talk.'_

With her fingers flying across the small keyboard, she typed back to him with tears in her eyes, blurring her vision a little before she swiped at them angrily and restarted her message.

'_Being with me alone for a while can be tough. I understand.'_

With her Blackberry stored deep in her pocket, she began walking again. She walked around the fountain that she knew so well and smiled forlornly as memories flashed across the screen of her mind of her sitting there all alone with Levi after seeing 'that woman' with Jack at Bobby's party. Another image invaded that one of the time she found Jack to make up with him after their disagreement over whether or not he had a right to know when she was working a case with outside agents. He had grinned and put his arm around her before leading her to a good pizza place around the corner.

Her phone buzzed again. _'No, you don't. Please, Sue. We need to talk.'_

Sitting on the edge of the fountain, she swiped at another tears brought about by the tender memories and began to type one more time and for the last time._ 'Please, I'm fine and I get it. Right now, I need to be alone.'_ Then, she stabbed at the button, turned it off and shoved it into her handbag before continuing on her walk, but she didn't go too far. As she looked around, she realized that she always did some of her best thinking sitting on the ledge of this fountain with Levi's head in her lap, the back of her shirt and seat of her pants getting wet from the spray of water the wind would generate from time to time.

Sue sat down and signed Levi to come up beside her. He stretched out on the concrete edge and laid his head in her lap while she stroked him absently, scratching his ears or rubbing long soothing caresses down his head and back. She sighed over and over, looking down at him and asking him questions that he'd always reply to with a silent look that somehow comforted her, even if it didn't counsel her. With another sigh, she stood up and was about to pull Levi down when her eyes spotted a familiar figure walking straight towards her. She pulled her coat around her a little tighter and fought back the tears as she saw him stride purposely towards her.

"Jack, I understand and I said I need to be alone."

He didn't say a word and, as long as she watched his lips, they remained pressed in a firm line, his steps never slowing. His form got bigger and bigger as he walked closer, his speed never decreasing even when he was less than ten feet away. He walked closer and closer and when he finally stopped, his lips were on hers in a warm and passionate kiss. She gasped at the suddenness and nearly toppled backwards into the fountain, but he caught her by the shoulders and held her against him as his hands slid up to her cheeks to cup her face tenderly. After long moments of pleasure, he peeled himself away from her and stared into her eyes, both their chests heaving, the temporary lack of oxygen wreaking havoc on their lungs now. She swallowed hard and licked her lips, her eyes opening and closing rapidly as she fought to process what had just transpired.

"Jack–" but she was cut off as he kissed her again. Still lacking air from her last kiss, she felt her knees weaken beneath her and she tried to stand on her own two feet, but it was Jack's solid embrace that kept her vertical. Again, after a few passionate minutes, he let her go and stared at her lovingly.

"Don't you get it?" he asked desperately. "This is why I didn't want to go undercover with you again!" he burst suddenly. "Lord help me if I'd have needed to kiss you because I'm not sure I could've acted naturally. I love you so much it hurts! Damn it, say something!"

"I love you, too…"

"Sue, I'm sorry; I never meant to make you feel like I couldn't stand you. I love you with all my heart and I was just scared of doing something to ruin it or our careers. I'm sorry."

A smile formed slowly on her face and she twined her arms around his neck as he smiled back at her and he felt both of their bodies relax together as he held her close. He put his arm around her waist and began to guide her slowly along the streets, whistling for Levi to follow. She smiled and looked up at him and, in that moment, she knew things were alright from now on.

-Fin-


End file.
